This Glassy Surface
by Enchantments Contest
Summary: His eyes were the color of seaweed. Isabella would know; the bottom of the ocean was once her home.


**Enchantments Contest Entry**

**Title** – _This Glassy Surface_

**Word Count** – _6,959_

**Fantasy Element or Creature **– _Water Elementals_  
**Summary** – _His eyes were the color of seaweed. Isabella would know; the bottom of the ocean was once her home._

**Disclaimer** – _Stephenie Meyer owns all Twilight characters. No copyright infringement intended._

Isabella ran from the stone cottage she shared with her best friend. Her laughter seemed to echo in the open land as Jacob's indignant yell sounded loudly from the back of the house. She stopped to watch the house and grinned widely when he appeared quickly at the front door and merely pointed at her, a silent warning to run faster.

She stuck her tongue out playfully before turning again to run away. Jacob was bigger than her, faster and stronger too, but she knew the area better. She had lived at the cottage for a year before Jacob arrived with a heavy heart and a confused mind. Isabella had allowed him sanctuary in her cottage until he could make a final decision regarding his future.

The cliff came into view and Isabella didn't think twice about what she was doing; as the edge came closer, she called out Jacob's name teasingly. On hearing her voice, he found her easily and appeared within seconds. It was just enough time for her to wave over her shoulder before she flung herself off the ledge. Her body fell quickly through the air. Hands came together, feet crossed, and then she sliced cleanly through the water.

Warm waves embraced her body. They cradled her gently as she spun slowly; each turn of her body brought her deeper into the water. Seconds passed as Isabella accustomed herself to the underwater world, and when she opened her eyes, she smiled at the brightness that welcomed her. She twirled her body so that her head was closest to the surface. With a familiar ease, she reached down and grabbed the hem of her dress to lift it over her head. Holding the fabric in one hand, she pushed her plain white underwear down with the other so she was completely naked.

Her feet kicked slowly, tiny propellers that brought her up to the surface in a slow glide. As she skimmed through the water, Isabella could feel her skin getting colder; it wasn't uncomfortable but it was noticeable until her head broke the surface of the water and sunlight streamed down on her face. She turned in circles, knowing that Jacob would have followed her into the water.

"Gotcha!" he yelled from behind her. Isabella didn't have enough time to move away. Jacob's arms wrapped around her, enveloping her body in the halo of his arms, but pulled away quickly. "Sorry," he apologized.

Isabella rolled her eyes. "Sure you are," she kicked her feet up and out to kick at Jacob's abdomen. He grabbed her ankle and grazed the area where her skin turned into scales.

"I am!" he said indignantly. "It's not my fault you're some weird creature from the deep." He wiggled his eyebrows at her comically.

Rolling her eyes again, Isabella squirmed out of his grasp. "_You're_ the odd one, Jacob, you and that silly tail of yours!" she yelled teasingly over her shoulder. She swam toward the wall of rocks from where she just jumped; her arms went above the water to stash her clothing on a large ledge.

When she let her body slip back into the ocean, she blinked and opened her mouth wide to take in a large gulp of the salty water. Her arms lifted to push out in front of her and she watched bubbles stream out of tiny slits at her wrists that acted as gills in her undine form. She turned her head and saw Jacob's green-blue tail flicking back and forth in the water. Her mouth formed a wide grin.

He was probably looking at her, following her every move though his head was still above the break of the water, but he stayed where he was. As she swam closer and closer, she reached out in front of her; just as she was about to snag the fishtail, Jacob dodged her hands, flipping in the water and starting a playful chase between the two of them.

They both swam fast, weaving in and out of the wake of each other's strokes; Isabella laughed a tinkling sound, the vibrations of it sending tiny bubbles from her mouth to the water's surface. Isabella reached out and caught the end of Jacob's tail; she tugged, making sure not to hurt him, and he twisted to look at her with a mock glare. As he twisted to grab at her long hair, the loud _whirr_ of a boat sounded above them. For a brief moment, the shadow of a medium-sized boat blocked the sunlight.

With a look toward each other, both Isabella and Jacob grinned and made for the surface of the ocean. Their heads rose above the break slowly, not wanting to be seen yet. The motorboat had idled closer to the cliffs and Isabella's eyes widened when she saw the group of people on the boat in wetsuits.

"Jacob, _go_," she hissed at him. Without a word, he turned and fled back toward one of the hidden caves in the cliff. Isabella stayed where she was until she saw the divers fall backwards into the water. She swam back to the spot where she had hidden her clothes. Pulling herself up onto a flat rock that jutted from the cliff, she waited, thankful that the sun was directly on her, drying her body.

The divers would take a while, she knew, so she stretched out as much as she could across the ledge. The sun beat down on her, warming her body temperature and the scales that covered her. As the minutes ticked by, the droplets of water evaporated into the air and her iridescent scales faded back into lightly tanned flesh. When they all disappeared, Isabella stood, careful not to slip against the rock. She slid damp underwear back on as her face twisted into a grimace at the feeling. Before she could slip her dress back on, a figure emerged from the water.

She let out a small yelp and fell back down to sit on the rock. She held the fabric of the dress to her chest, trying to keep herself covered, as the diver's head completely came out of the water. He pulled the regulator out of his mouth and lifted the mask he wore and blinked at her.

"Hello."

Isabella tilted her head at him. He was smiling cautiously and, in response, she lifted a hand and wiggled her fingers. She studied him and smiled softly at his handsome features. His jaw was chiseled. His eyes were a deep green that reminded her of the long strips of seaweed that swayed in the deepest parts of the ocean.

There was a pull in Isabella's stomach, one that reached for this man who merely looked at her as though waiting for her to say something. Her fingers curled around the edge of the rock on which she sat and she leaned forward, almost beckoning him closer; as though he heard her silent call, he moved closer, his body parting the sea lightly in gentle waves that pushed the water out diagonally.

"Are you okay?" he asked in concern. Isabella nodded, her gaze locked with his as he moved closer still. "Are you... lost?"

"What?" Isabella finally spoke up then realized why he was asking. She laughed again and the man seemed to stretch his neck more so his face was closer to her. "No. No, I'm not lost." She looked past him for a moment then smiled down at him. "Are you taking a scuba diving class?"

He looked over his shoulder at the boat before he turned back to face her. "I'm helping the instructor." He swam even closer until his hands settled on the rock next to her knuckles. "What's your name?"

"Isabella," she said. "What's yours?"

He grinned up at her. "Edward." Green eyes traced the outline of her body and he pushed away suddenly. "I'm sorry; I didn't realize you..." He cut his words off and gestured toward her body. She glanced down again and a light flush spread over her cheeks and down her neck.

"Edward! Where'd you go?" a voice called from near the boat.

"That's me," he said quietly. Isabella nodded. "Do you live around here?"

"Yes," she answered simply.

Edward's eyebrows drew in and he paused for a moment before asking, "If I come back some time for more diving, will I see you again?"

She smiled at him, a bashful turning of the lips. "Perhaps," she said coyly.

Again, Edward's name was called and with one last wave, he pulled his mask back on and placed the breathing apparatus back into his mouth. He disappeared beneath the water and Isabella's knuckles turned white as her grip on the slab of rock tightened.

Seconds passed into minutes and she continued staring at the water. She knew he was too far now but she wanted to see him again. She hoped he returned.

"What's with that look, Isabella?" Jacob suddenly appeared to her left, his body immersed in the water. Seeing her raised eyebrows, he quickly said, "They're on the other side of the boat, far out to the west."

"I spoke to one of them," she informed him. This time it was Jacob's eyebrows that shot up high on his forehead. "His name was Edward."

Her voice softened as she said his name; it made warning alarms ring loudly in Jacob's head. It was almost like her voice was caressing the syllables.

"Isabella... is he..."

"He's beautiful," she said with a faraway look in her eyes. "And he's a diver, Jacob, a _diver_. He must love the water."

Jacob snapped his fingers in front of his best friend's face. "He's a _diver_? That means he loves being in the water. _You_ love being in the water. Did you forget what you _are_?"

The question snapped into Isabella's mind like a rubber band and her glazed eyes cleared. "Oh," she said softly. For a moment, she _had_ forgotten; her mind felt muddled with images of Edward's face. "Well," she continued lightly, "it's not like he'll really come back."

Two weeks later, Isabella sat on the warm sand and stared out at the horizon. The past 14 days had done nothing to clear her mind of green eyes and a smooth voice. The sun was still overhead though it was already beginning its descent. The beach was clearing slowly, families packing up for the day and surfers taking their final waves.

Her skin prickled and Isabella's head shot up to see a figure walking toward her, a surfboard tucked beneath an arm. As the person came closer, Isabella came to complete attention; she knew that facial shape and could smelled something familiar beneath the saltwater, sun, and sweat.

"Hello again."

"Edward," she breathed his name as she turned her head up to continue looking at him while he stood above her. She watched as he pushed the end of the board into the sand so it stood upright next to him. "You surf?"

He grinned and nodded. "It's what I do," he said with a shrug. "A few friends were coming to this beach and I... well, I remembered the last time I was here."

"What happened the last time you were here?" She blinked up at him and felt the pull in her stomach again.

He gave her a lopsided smile. "I met a beautiful girl."

"Oh." She ducked her head and wrapped slender arms around her knees that she pulled up to her chest. She lifted her gaze slightly, squinting from the sun, and nodded toward the board. "How long have you been surfing?"

"Few years, a little more," he said evasively. "Have you ever tried it?"

"No," Isabella answered quickly. "No, I don't think... I don't think I'd be very good at it."

"But you've never tried," Edward pointed out. Isabella shook her head. "You should try it." He shifted his weight and cleared his throat. "I could take you out in the water sometime. I mean, if you want."

She wanted to take him up on his offer, wanted it so badly that she almost stood up and asked to go right then, but she forced herself to stay seated. "Oh, I don't think that would be a very good idea." She tightened her arms around her knees.

Sensing her sudden discomfort, Edward took a step away from her. "Okay," he said in a defeated tone. "Um, I guess I'll just –"

"Are you leaving soon?" she blurted out. Edward stared at her. "Because... if you're not, I know this place a few minutes down the beach that has really good food." She bit her lip before letting out a soft chuckle. "I haven't eaten dinner yet."

Edward's lips broke out into a grin. "I drove myself here today," he told her. "I haven't eaten dinner yet, either." He paused. "Maybe you can show me this place with really good food?" He tilted his head toward the board. "I need to go back to my car for this. We could drive over there together."

With a brilliant smile, Isabella nodded. Edward held out a hand and she took it, lifting herself up from the ground. She brushed the backside of the summer dress she was wearing and adjusted the straps of a bikini top beneath it. Edward tucked the board beneath his arm again and, after a slight hesitation, took her hand in his to lead her to the parking lot.

He was methodical in securing the board to the roof of his car, an SUV of sorts, though Isabella didn't care to find out what kind. She stood next to the vehicle while he moved from one side to the other, tugging and pulling until he was sure the board wouldn't come loose.

"Ready?" he asked with a bright smile. She nodded and got into the car after he opened the passenger side door for her.

The beachside restaurant wasn't far and Isabella directed him down the main road and then pointed out two turns. There were more cars than usual in the parking lot but Isabella assured Edward it would be fine. The wait was short but in the 15-minute span of time while a table was cleaned off for them, Edward brushed the back of his hand against hers. She caught his fingers and held them still. He smiled at her and let his own fingers tickle the palm of her hand until they were called.

Isabella ordered for them, swearing he would love the burgers here, and then there was silence at the table. Around them, couples and friends and families chattered and laughed, but their table was quiet for a few minutes.

"Do you always go by Isabella?" Edward finally asked.

She tilted her head in thought. "Yes. My family isn't very big on nicknames."

"No?"

"Well, do you always go by Edward?"

"Yes," he said with a smile. "But only because I can't stand the sound of _Eddie_." He leaned back in his seat and studied her. "You, though, you look like you need a name other than Isabella." He drummed his fingers against the tabletop. "May I call you Bella from now on?"

She jerked at the sound of the name. Her eyes blinked rapidly and she tried to quell the butterflies that appeared in her stomach. The name floated in her mind.

Bella.

_Bella_.

Edward watched her. "I don't have to; I can call you by your given name. I just thought it fit you."

"No," she said. "No, please. I... I like it." She laughed for no reason. "You can call me that."

After dinner, she led him down the set of wooden stairs that connected to the restaurant's outdoor seating area. Together, they walked by the shoreline. It was dark enough now that Isabella knew any water that lingered on her skin for too long would go unnoticed by Edward.

She ran ahead of him, kicking water up with her toes, and laughed loudly, the sound echoing like a melody of bells in the darkening sky. When she spun to face Edward again, she was surprised to find him standing so far away from her, almost like he didn't know how close he could stand. She made her way back to him, running on her tiptoes this time as tiny waves crashed at her feet. A cooling sensation began on her ankles but she ignored it for now.

When she stood in front of him, he grinned. "You like the water, huh?"

"Is it that obvious?" she asked gleefully. "You love it too, don't you?"

He nodded. "So... You love the water but you won't try surfing. Why is that?"

She searched for a good excuse. "Sharks," she said at last. "I'm scared of sharks."

Edward frowned at her. "Couldn't sharks attack you at any time, anyway?"

"Well, yes." In an effort to distract him from the line of questioning, she reached up and slid a hand over his shoulder to his neck, leaving the other hand that was still holding her shoes at her side. "I had fun at dinner," she said, standing up on the tips of her toes so she was closer to his height. It didn't help much but it made Edward wrap an arm around her waist. "You're a very interesting man, Edward."

"Am I?" His voice lowered as though he were in a trance. He felt Bella's fingers swirling against the skin of his neck and was lulled into a state of relaxation. "You barely spoke of yourself during dinner," he said quietly. "I want to know more about you."

"Maybe next time," she said coyly. "If there _is_ a next time?"

The arm around her waist tightened. "I hope there's a next time."

"I should head back," she said. "I didn't even tell my roommate I'd be out this late." She lowered her heels back to the sand. "When will you be back?"

"A few days, probably," he informed her. "Probably not until this weekend."

Isabella's chest constricted, almost in pain, but she sucked in a deep breath and nodded. "I hope I see you again." She moved her hand from the back of his neck to his mouth, tapping the pads of her fingers against his bottom lip. A low hum began in the back of her throat, the soft sound sinking into Edward's skin like a message.

Edward's eyes shut slowly as she continued to hum an unfamiliar song. Her fingers traced over his chin, down to his neck, until they reached the fabric of his shirt. The water still ebbed and flowed around their ankles. Their feet were sinking into the soft, wet sand as they stood nearly motionless.

"See you soon," Isabella whispered. She was gone before Edward managed to open his eyes again.

The cottage was dark when she arrived home but she wasn't concerned. Her excuse to Edward was just that – an excuse to leave. Jacob was rarely home before two and she never wanted to know what he was doing. As soon as she stepped into the house, she paused and let her eyes dart around to the corners of the front room. Someone was or had been there; she wasn't sure which one it was. She put a palm out behind her to curl her fingers around the doorframe in case she needed to run.

"Come now, Sister." A familiar melodic voice sounded in the darkness like a song. "Would you run from me?"

The lights were harsh when they turned on and she sucked in a deep breath when she saw the woman sitting on a chair in the living room. "Rosalie," she said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

She stood and her skin glimmered, even under the artificial lighting. "I wanted to visit,

Isabella," she said primly. "Or is it Bella now?"

At the sound of the name, Isabella felt warmth spread through her body. Rose stared at her, warning and pain in her eyes, and Isabella looked away before she could read the words in them. "How's Lana?"

The shimmer over Rose's skin seemed to ripple at the mention of her daughter but her eyes turned cold, an icy blue storm that raged at Isabella. "Fatherless."

Isabella turned away.

"Isabella, you _have_ to see what's happening." Rose walked forward as she spoke. Her fingers touched Isabella's arm, causing a sense of dread to wash over her. Isabella flinched away.

"What was that?"

Rose pulled her hand away and dropped her arm back at her side. "You feel it, don't you?" she asked lowly, urgently, "You _see_, don't you?"

"There's nothing to see, Rosalie," she responded quietly.

An uncomfortable silence settled around them until Rose spoke again. "You shouldn't call me Rosalie anymore, you know."

Isabella looked up. "That's your name."

"Not anymore." Rose stared at the girl whom she once shared a secret with and shook her head sadly. "Isabella, I'm here to warn you, okay? Have fun with this new man, this _Edward_, but be careful. Give him your body. Take his for your enjoyment. But don't love him. Don't _trust_ him."

With a roll of her eyes, Isabella scoffed, "I just met him, _Rosalie_. It's a bit early to talk of love, isn't it?"

"Is it?" the blonde countered. "You've already taken the first step to becoming his, to becoming like him."

"You're crazy."

Rose stared at her again, her eyes almost seeming to gleam but Isabella knew it was impossible now. Rose cleared her throat. "Rosalie. Victoria. Katrina. We were all your sisters once, Isabella; the names tell our story. We are the beautiful, the brightness of the ocean, the royalty of the sea. At least, the three of us were once a part of that. You still _are_, Isabella. Don't give it up for a man who will take you for granted once you give him everything."

"How is allowing him to call me _Bella_ a step toward..." Isabella's voice trailed off as she realized she had no idea how to refer to Rose's condition, so to speak.

"Toward losing it all?" Rose finished the statement. "Royce called me Rose from the beginning. Victoria let James call her Tori after he took her to dinner. Katrina became Kate for Garrett." She raised an eyebrow. "Nicknames are for humans, Isabella, for the mortals who live on this Earth. It's the first step to losing your identity."

"I repeat," Isabella said with a shake of her head, "_you are crazy_."

Rose's eyes flashed dangerously. "I gave up my immortality, Isabella!" she hissed out. "I gave up the bottom of the ocean, the hours beneath the surface of the water. And for what? I thought Royce loved me, that he wanted everything about me. I gave him my heart. _I gave him a child_ and the second he realized I was growing older and would soon lose the beauty that our ancestors gave us, he turned on me, found comfort in the arms of another."

Isabella knew all of this. Rose's story was well known – as were two similar stories from other girls Isabella once knew – but hearing it first-hand was almost painful.

"I watched him die, Isabella."

"You... You what?" Isabella's breathing grew harsher.

"You know what I mean," Rose said and Isabella felt her heart grow cold. "Be careful," Rose warned. "This Edward? He could ruin you." She left without any other words of wisdom.

Isabella stared after her. Long after Rose had left, she stood in the doorway of the cottage and stared into the night sky. Jacob found her there when he returned just as the sun was rising.

"Isabella?" he called her name out softly but she barely moved. "Isabella!"

She jerked back at the loudness of his voice. "Oh. Jacob, when did you get back?"

"Just now," he responded cautiously. "Are you okay?"

_Are you okay?_

Edward had asked her the same question when they first met. Isabella thought she was okay, thought Edward was gorgeous in every way, but now that Rosalie – _Rose_ – had visited, she felt an icy hand close around her heart.

"Isabella?"

"Yes," she responded automatically. "Yes, I'm fine." She took a deep breath. "I'm going away for a few days."

Jacob looked surprised. "A few _days_? That's unlike you."

"I need time to think about things. You'll take care of the place?"

"Of course."

Isabella nodded. "See you soon, then."

Like she always did, Isabella ran and ran until she could see the cliffs. Without a thought, she flung herself off after shedding the clothes she still wore. Her body fell through the air, gravity taking control, and she breathed a sigh of relief when the water engulfed her.

For days, Isabella swam through the waters of the Pacific Ocean. There was no set course, no sense of direction. She stayed beneath the surface for the most part, finding peace within the brightly colored coral at the bottom of the sea. Tiny fish swam up to her and welcomed her in their schools.

On the fifth day, Isabella ventured to the underwater caves where those of her kind lived. There, the water was dark, but Isabella swam to the large opening and held her hands out. A light seemed to shine over her as she stood at the entrance of the cave and the scales that covered her body glimmered. As though an invisible door opened, Isabella felt the waters push her inside. She shut her eyes as the water rushed past her and only reopened them when the temperature turned warmer and lights seemed to attempt to penetrate her eyelids.

The undine that waited to greet Isabella was beautiful. Long, red hair trailed down her back, stopping only above the light swell of her backside. Her body, like Isabella's, was covered in scales though the stranger had peach-colored ones that seemed to bleed directly into the skin of her hands, feet, and neck. Wide, blue eyes stared at Isabella in waiting.

"Makenna," Isabella said the name of the woman who raised her while she grew up in the depths of the ocean. "Please."

Silently, the woman turned and her legs lifted as she began to swim deeper into the caves. Isabella followed. Tiny flames flickered against the cave walls, a small showing of the magic held within the stone caves, and Isabella couldn't help but shiver at the ominous feeling that now surrounded her. Her time away from her first home had caused uncertainty to cloud her mind.

"Isabella, my sweet child." Makenna's voice was sweet but strong. Though smaller than most of the undines that lived in her domain, Makenna was one of the most powerful creatures in the seas. They embraced briefly but Makenna pulled away quickly and stared at Isabella. "You come with questions," she murmured. "Oh, Isabella, what have you done?"

Softly, almost in a whisper, Isabella spoke. "His name is Edward."

"And you love him?"

"I don't know," she confessed.

Makenna reached out and brushed Isabella's hair over her shoulder. "Tell me about this Edward."

Immediately, Isabella's cheeks flushed and her body shimmered so brightly that Makenna almost wanted to turn away from its brightness.

"He's beautiful, Makenna, reminiscent of the gods of mythology. He lives for the water just like I do! It's too soon to fall in love, isn't it? I only met him recently but he makes me feel beautiful. His touch warms me from the inside-out and his _eyes_, Makenna, they remind me of home, of these caves where the plants of the sea decorate every crevice."

Isabella paused before letting out a big sigh. "He calls me _Bella_."

"Does he?" Makenna asked her sharply.

"Yes," she answered quietly. "Rosal - _Rose_ came to me a few nights ago."

Makenna stayed silent.

"Was there ever anyone, Makenna, who found true love with a man?" There was so much hope in Isabella's voice that Makenna had to smile at her. Before she could answer, Isabella continued. "Is there… Could he love me, _truly_ love me?"

When she spoke to answer the questions, Makenna's voice softened to a sweet lull that rocked Isabella into a calming relaxation. "I cannot tell you the answer to that, Isabella. No one can. It is rare that one of us can find a peaceful love with a human; they're quick to change their minds, and their hearts merely follow their thoughts."

Isabella dipped her head.

"If you wish to even attempt a real relationship with Edward, you must tell him the truth." Makenna smiled as she traced a hand down Isabella's cheek. "Tell him what you are and of the dangers he may face in loving you. The rest will follow."

She left the caves soon after the conversation, needing more time alone. The water turned colder once she left the safety of the caves but she welcomed it, needed the slight shock on her body to help clear her mind. Slowly, her body glided along the water. At some point, a few of her sisters joined her; though she didn't know all of them, she knew she was safe among them. They were familiar, a piece of home, and she relished in the playful demeanors of the girls.

The moment she entered the waters close to home, Isabella felt an electric current whip through her body. It felt like a warning and the other undines scattered. Carefully, since she wasn't sure how far she was from shore, she lifted her head above the surface of the water and looked around.

She was closer than she expected. The waves began to swell just in front of her as surfers sat on their boards waiting for their turn to ride back in to shore. Isabella kicked her legs out in front of her and moved backward to stay out of sight when a shock of familiar hair caught her attention. Farther out than the other surfers was Edward, sitting on his board with his legs dangling over the sides. His head turned to look behind him but he passed on every wave that came forth.

Taking a deep breath, Isabella ducked back into the cool sea and made her way toward Edward. If she had to tell him what she was, perhaps it would be best to _show_ him as well. As her body twisted and turned in the water, she felt a quick thrum over her skin from earlier, the one that made her incredibly aware of her surroundings. Her heart stopped when she saw the large shape swimming almost lazily near Edward's hanging feet.

_No_, she screamed in her mind. Isabella pushed her body faster, and as though the shark sensed her, it too began spearing through the water. _No, no, no _kept repeating in her mind, and just as a mouth opened to reveal the rows of razor sharp teeth, Isabella popped her head above the water and yelled out Edward's name.

"Bella?" He looked taken aback by her sudden appearance. "What are –"

Her mouth opened in a shrill scream as she felt the shark bite into her hip. Time came to a complete standstill; all she could feel was the burn of her scales being ripped from her body. Dimly, she heard Edward yelling out her name in panic.

"GO," Isabella tried to yell at him. "Get back to shore."

"What? Are you insane?" He reached down into the water to try and hoist her onto his board but she jerked away. "Bella, _please_."

"_GO_," she repeated once more before slipping too far down for him to reach her. She felt strong hands grab her and felt warmth settle into her side. She turned her head. "Jacob," she breathed out.

The merman shushed her and kept his hands on the wound at her hip. The shark was gone and more merfolk surrounded the two as if protecting them should the shark return. Isabella closed her eyes and sagged into Jacob's arms; she had heard stories of the powers the merfolk had but she had never actually seen it happen.

"You're okay," Jacob whispered. "Let's get you home."

All Isabella could do was nod before a sweet sleep overtook her senses.

When she woke up, hours later, she gasped. Edward stood at the foot of her bed, green eyes confused but worried. Isabella shot up to a sitting position and immediately looked down. Silently, she thanked Jacob for putting clothes on her.

"Wait," she said aloud. "When did you get here? Did Jacob let you in?"

Edward stared at her solemnly for a few moments before speaking. "I saw... Jacob?" Isabella nodded uncertainly. "I saw Jacob... Wash up by the cliffs, near the caves there." Edward paused. "He's not... Human."

"No," Isabella said softly. "He's not."

"Are you?"

Isabella's breath hitched at the question.

"Because I couldn't see anything _strange_ from where I was and, by the time I reached you, you were just, well, you were naked." He took a deep breath. "Jacob wouldn't tell me anything. He just asked me to bring you here before he went back into the water."

"I'm..."

The bed dipped slightly as Edward sat down on top of the covers. The fabric pulled away from Isabella's body. "Please tell me," he requested.

Brown met green in a stare that spoke volumes. In his eyes, Isabella saw a curiosity and yearning to know what he had seen earlier that day, but she felt helpless to his look. Seemingly in slow motion, Isabella slid a hand over the bedspread to touch Edward's warm fingers. His gaze dropped to where their skin met.

"I'm an undine," she told him. Like a rubber band, Edward pulled his hand away and held it against his chest. His body leaned away from her while his eyes widened. "Edward?"

"An undine?" he repeated. "_On_dine? Ondine's Curse?"

Isabella's brows drew in toward each other. "You've heard of me? I mean, you've heard of my kind?"

In a shaky voice, he replied, "I know that there is a medical condition that is based on a fable about a creature named Ondine." When he saw Isabella's confused look, he explained, "My father is a doctor. When I was a child, I used to look up these things whenever he had a patient with the problem. I'd read as much as I could about them."

"Oh."

"Is it true, then, this curse?"

Isabella answered carefully. "That depends on what you know."

"It's said undines have the ability to curse men who have wronged them. They can make a man stop breathing once they fall asleep." He leaned even further away from Isabella. "Is that it?" he asked. "Were you hoping to lure me in just to kill me?"

"No!" Isabella reached for him, only drawing back when he stood and stepped away from the bed. "No, that's not true. Edward, that's not... It doesn't work like that."

"But it works?"

"Not like that," Isabella swore to him. She moved to her knees and felt naked even with the clothes she wore. Edward's gaze of fear burned through the fabric, seared into her skin, and left her bones bare to the swirling air of judgment.

"Like what, then?" he couldn't help but ask.

Isabella held a hand out. "Will you listen?" she asked. Her eyes begged him to stay. "Please?"

He nodded. After a moment's hesitation, he slid his palm against hers and allowed her to pull him back onto the bed. Once he sat down, she edged away to give him space, but Edward kept a tight hold on her hand. He wanted the connection for now. As she stared at their tangled fingers, stories filled Isabella's mind, ones from when she was a child and ones she heard more recently. At once, an image appeared in her mind and she knew how to tell him.

"I once knew a girl, another undine. She and I grew up together in a world beneath the sea. Her name was Victoria and she was beautiful. We all are, to some extent, though we try not to let it consume us." She shifted her hand slightly and traced swirls on Edward's palm. "Victoria was the type of woman you noticed. Red hair, blue eyes, pale skin – she turned heads wherever she went."

"She sounds beautiful," Edward commented. He stilled her fingers by closing a fist around her hand. The look in his eyes paid her silent compliments that made Isabella's cheeks bloom in color.

"She met a man in South Africa. His name was James and he called her Tori. They fell in love. It seemed so easy, so wonderful, the way she told us about the two of them. He was attentive and always wanted to be with her. He was infatuated with her beauty, and when she told him the truth about what she was, he became obsessed with her. She didn't tell him everything, though, and he didn't care enough to find out more about her, about _us_. So they married and lived a happy life."

"Were they really happy?" Edward interrupted.

"Victoria, I'm sorry, Tori... Tori was happy. She loved him more than anything in the world. She'd give up her entire life for him."

"And James didn't feel the same way." It was a statement rather than a question.

Isabella continued as though she didn't hear his comment. "Tori had his children – twins named Jane and Alec. They were cute, I suppose, though they both liked to cry a lot."

Her gaze had been on their joined hands as she spoke but now, Isabella lifted her head, and gave Edward a faint smile. "The thing is, Edward, when an undine falls in love – _true_ love – it's forever. There's no one else for her and she'd give up everything, including the immortality she's given at the first breath of life." Her eyes lowered again, this time to see Edward gently stroking her wrist. "It's what happens after we marry and give birth for the first time. We become human. We become mortal."

Fingers stilled and pressed into Isabella's skin. "Mortal?"

"We age at that point." She lifted her face again and he saw sadness lurking in the deep colors of her eyes. "We change. We grow up. Our bodies move with time."

Edward couldn't help the smile from forming on his lips. "I think you'd look lovelier with every year."

"Would you?" There seemed to be desperation in the question. Isabella shook her head. "Because James didn't think so. Tori was still beautiful but she grew older like any other woman. That's not what James wanted at all; he wanted the young and perfect ones, the girls who were flawless all the time.

"Tori brought the twins to his office. They planned to meet for lunch but time slips away so easily." Isabella let out a soft bark of laughter that was void of all amusement. "He was with another redhead, one of his colleague's assistants. Cliche, isn't it?"

"A bit," Edward agreed but his voice sounded lost.

"He was dead the next morning." Isabella said the words flatly. "The curse – the original curse of Ondine – settled into his body the moment Tori saw him with another woman. _That's_ how it works, Edward. I don't _lure_ you in my arms just to amuse myself with your death."

With gentle touches, Edward brought Isabella toward his body and enveloped her in his arms. His lips found her hair, slightly damp and stiff from the saltwater. "And you?" he asked against her head. "Are those your feelings toward me? Do you love me?"

"I just met you," she said weakly.

His arms tightened around her body. "Bella." Her name on his lips was a caress to her mind and heart.

"I think so."

A hand moved to her face, lifting up her chin. Green eyes, bright and tender, gazed at her. "I'm glad," he said with a smile. "Bella, this is unreal, all of this. Part of me thinks _you're_ not real but you're here, in front of me, and Jesus, I can see it."

"See what?"

"A possible future with you. I want to know you. I want to know the girl I met that first day and the girl I walked with on the beach." Fingers brushed the apples of her cheeks down to her neck and behind her ears where they teased her skin with promise. "I want you to tell me about the girl from the water, too. I want to know why you swim naked and I want to ask if I can swim naked with you. I want to kiss you and touch you and _be_ with you."

Isabella let out a shaky breath. "That's a lot of wants, Edward."

"It is," he agreed. "And Bella?"

"Hmm?" she hummed and leaned her head on the space between his shoulder and neck.

"If this happens between us? If we somehow get through everything and find ourselves married with children on a beach as two boring mortals? Isabella, I'd be an idiot to give that up. I see our lives together." He fell silent and Isabella listened to his heart beat, felt her head move with every breath he took. "I'm willing to risk my own life for you."

"Bella," she whispered. Edward made a questioning sound and she curled her fingers in the shirt that hung loosely from his body. "You called me Isabella."

"It's your name, isn't it?" His voice was playful as he remembered their dinner when she claimed she never went by a nickname.

"No. No, it's not, not anymore," she said quietly. "Bella. My name is Bella."


End file.
